rable James Iredell to his wife, February 24, 1797.

[114] The following is Washington's description of the letters:--

"New York, June 12th, 1776. To Mr. Lund Washington, at Mount Vernon,
Fairfax county, Virginia.--G. W."

"To John Parke Custis, Esq., at the Hon. Benedict Calvert's, Esq., Mount
Airy, Maryland, June 18th, 1776.--GEORGE WASHINGTON."

"New York, July 8th, 1776. To Mr. Lund Washington, at Mt. Vernon,
Fairfax county, Virginia.--G. W."

"New York, July 15, 1776. To Mr. Lund Washington.--G. W."

"New York, July 16, 1776. To Mr. Lund Washington.--G. W."

"New York, July 22d, 1776. To Mr. Lund Washington--G. W."

"June 24th, 1776. To Mrs. Washington.--G. W."

[115] Mrs. Susan R. Echard, daughter of Colonel Read, now (1860) living
in Philadelphia, at the age of eighty-four years. The venerable
Rembrandt Peale, of the same city, who, two years before, painted
Washington's portrait from life, and now in his eighty-third year, was
also present in the gallery on that occasion, and his recollection
agrees with that of Mrs. Echard.

[116] Craik.

[117] Harrison.

[118] Custis.

[119] Lewis.

[120] It was in the form of a "Letter to George Washington, President of
the United States." Dwight was a violent republican, and an
uncompromising advocate for the immediate and total abolition of slavery
in the United States. Because Washington was a slaveholder, he
considered him extremely vulnerable on that point, and in his "Letter"
he twice alludes to the fact.

"Had the French Revolution," he said, "commenced ten years later, or you
retired to the shades of Mount Vernon four years ago, the friends of
public virtue would still proudly boast of one great man free from the
breath of public dispraise, and your fondly partial country, forbearing
to inquire whether or not you were chargeable with mental aberrations,
would vaunt in you this possession of the phoenix." After making
strictures on the events of the past four years, he said: "Would to God!
you had retired to a private station four years ago, while your public
conduct threw a veil of sanctity round you, which you have yourself
rashly broken down. Your fame would have been safe, your country without
reproach, and I should not have the mortifying task of pointing out the
blind temerity with which you come forward to defend the religion of
Christ, who exist in the violation of its most sacred obligations, of
the dearest ties of humanity, and in defiance